


𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 ➳ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐳𝐞 𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 ║𝐎𝐂 𝐱 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐭

by freespirit012



Category: The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Book/Movie 1: The Maze Runner, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:54:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25472722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freespirit012/pseuds/freespirit012
Summary: Jane has always considered her friends as family. This theory is tested when their lives are put at stake. She ends up doing the unthinkable and enters herself into the maze trials. Between being the first Glader, losing her memories, and trying to find a way out of the maze, her life will always just be a game of survival.What happens when a familiar greenie is unexpectantly sent up in the box and changes everyday life? How will the Gladers overcome the maze trials?❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂THE MAZE RUNNER¹OC x NEWTfreespirit012²⁰²⁰
Relationships: Teresa Agnes/Thomas (Maze Runner)
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙣𝙚

"I believe it is time to start the trials, Ava. The disease keeps getting worse and people are dying." A man said as he continued to hastily write down notes on his paper.

"Dr. Janson, we must have patience. Even though the maze has been completely programmed, we haven't even prepared for humans to live there. I don't want them to die on the first day."

The man nodded, then bought his hands to his chin as solutions swarmed through his brain. "Ava listen to me, these trials will last for God knows how long. The kids here have been tested and I know they are ready. We need to start as soon as possible. I already have a list of the subjects who should go first based on the evaluations."

The air was filled with an eery silence that swept over the room. Ava got up from her chair and paced around, pondering the proposal that was offered before her. "Let me see it."

❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂

Jane bounced her foot up and down, fretfully waiting for the numerical calculations to download. She and a couple of others were put on an important assignment regarding the new maze trials. Her caramel eyes drifted to the clock hovering mockingly above, which made the girl anxious. Running her tiny hand belligerently through her now matted hair, which didn't help the situation. Someone from behind Jane's chair wrapped their arms across her chest, then, with ease, laid their chin on her head.

"Have you finished the reports?" A male voice questioned soothingly, studying the impatient worker.

Jane turned around to face a light, toffee haired boy who had piercing aqua eyes staring at her concerningly. "Nope. This can't possibly take any longer. Grayson, the next time Dr. Crawford gives me a task like this, tell her I'm sick." She replied, while sarcasm was laced in her voice.

"Take deep breaths, babe." Grayson kissed her temple, reassuringly. "You'll accomplish this like you do with anything you take on. Your smart, talented, and--."

A sound indication rang out from the computer, which signaled the successful transfer of the data. Jane grabbed the hard drive from the USB port, then stretched out her sore muscles. "What were you gonna say? About how sexy I am." She motioned her hands, gesturing her small-statured body as Grayson held on to her waist. "I was gonna say you're adorable." He closed the rift between them as his lips shortly met hers. "But sexy works too."

Jane clasped her hand into his as they walked swiftly towards the cafeteria, gliding through the pearl, white hallway. The girl's chestnut hair whipped back and forth with every step she took. The pair were on their way to a lunch break, which seemed likes hours to arrive.

"Good afternoon Jane, Grayson, how are you kids doing today?" A familiar voice traveled through the corridor, which caused Jane and Grayson to come to a halt. The woman who had a rich, cocoa skin tone approached the couple and had a smile plastered from ear to ear.

"I'm doing very well, Dr. Crawford. I hope you are pleased to hear that the analysis for the new trials are underway. I should have them to you by this evening."

Dr. Crawford shook her head, showing her satisfactory, as her brown curls bounced up and down. "I am so glad I can count on my number one employee."

"Hey, what about me?" Grayson joked causing the doctor to chuckle. "I thought I was your favorite."

Jane drowned out the sound of Dr. Crawford's voice as her thoughts traveled to her friends. Her body started to sway impatiently when the doctor continued on.

"Janson is sure to—-."

"I'm, sorry." The girl interrupted. "I really have to be going. My lunch break is only 25 minutes. It was nice talking to you, have a good rest of your day."

Jane didn't wait for a response, she grasped Grayson's hands, turned on her heels, and briskly walked down the halls.

The girl loved Dr. Crawford dearly. She was practically a mother to her, but sometimes Jane wondered who her real mom was. She's never seen pictures or videos of her, which caused a gash in her heart.

❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂

When Jane reached the dining hall along with Grayson, she made eye contact with her best friends who were sitting at their usual table.

"Took you long enough, Jane, I was about to get up and leave your ass."

"Nice to see you too, Minho."

She grabbed a sandwich from the lunch line and then settled down in between Grayson and another boy who had chestnut, brown hair.

"So how's everyone's day going in this hell?" said a boy who had an accented resonance.

Jane took a bite out of her long-awaited lunch. "To be completely honest Newt, I'm doing just fine."

"Jane are you bloody serious, the only reason you say that is because you don't have to go through physical evaluations like Minho, Gally, and I. You, Teresa, Thomas, and Aris all have it easy."

Thomas held his hand against his chest in a joking manner and pretended to look hurt. "Aw come on man, you don't have to go through piles of paper and work with mathematical equations. I would honestly trade places with you."

"I don't know." Grayson's comment broke the conversation, as everyone looked at him annoyingly. "Physical testing is a pain in the ass."

Minho pointed his finger at the loathed boy from across the table. "And why is he here again?"

"Guys, be nice." Jane scolded like a mother correcting her child.

"Alright boys, can we stop bickering about whose job is harder. We all participate and put in the same work." a female with raven black hair stated in a professional manner.

"Teresa's right," Gally spoke up. "We all participate in the same work, but I still think a physical evaluation is harder."

There was a division in the friends as everyone started to play argue with each other. Aris said nothing and just stared at the group with embarrassment. He rubbed his temple exasperatingly and then stood up from the bench. "Everyone just shut the hell up, this isn't that freaking serious, and look we're causing attention to ourselves."

The group of friends stopped talking, then with caution, examined their surroundings. Everyone in the dining hall had turned to watch the series of events unfold. The friends glanced back at each other and burst out laughing.

"Bloody hell, I didn't know we were that loud!" Newt chocked out as this made everyone laugh even harder.

Jane thought how good it felt to laugh with her friends after a stressful morning in the office. She enjoyed taking as many breaks as she could to spend time with them. The joyful girl laid her head on Grayson's shoulder, completely missing the resentful looks Newt sent their way.

As things started to settle down, the intercom interrupted their talking.

Jane Janson, please report to the west medical wing.

"Are you serious I just sat down!" Jane internally outbursted.

A male voice then interrupted her private remarks that were taking place in her head. "That's the price you pay for being their favorite."

"Thomas, that's not true. You have Ava wrapped around your little finger." Jane responded while peering at the boy from the corner of her eye.

As the pair communicated in secret, they didn't realize all of their friends looking at them.

Minho groaned. "I understand you two, and Teresa along with party pooper over here." He motioned towards Aris, who rolled his eyes. "Have some kind of superpowers, but can you guys stop with all the weird voodoo stuff?"

"Look's like duty calls, I'll catch up later," Jane emphasized out loud for the rest of the group to hear. She pecked her boyfriend's lips, then stood up to leave the cafeteria.

"Wait, Jane, is everyone still meeting up after our shifts our done?" Gally called from across the room.

She shot him a thumbs up and then headed towards the medical wing.

❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂

Jane smoothly scanned her I.D. card, which appeared she has done numerous of times and opened the metal door. When she walked in, she saw Dr. Janson and Ava looking over papers on a glass desk.

"Hey, Dr. Janson." Jane addressed the older man standing around the table."What did you page me for? I was kinda in the middle of my lunch break."

Dr. Janson, unaffectionately, embraced the girl then motioned for her to sit down.

The blonde-haired woman, cleared her throat signaling that she was going to begin discussing. She folded her arms sternly. "Jane, as you may know, we have been making trials to help find a cure. We successfully completed them and we are going to start sending people in. "

"I know I've been monitoring the statistics for the project, but what are the trials, exactly?" Jane furrowed her eyebrows, not understanding the information Ava was communicating.

"There are two main stages. The first stage is called the maze. There will be two mazes with different variables and tests to see how the subjects will react. The subjects will have their memories erased with a serum, which you've learned about, and they will be put into different conditions. The only way to escape the maze is with a code. The next trial is stage two called the Scorch. I won't go into detail about that yet. Just know that these trials may seem extreme, but this is all to find a cure."

Jane didn't respond. She was trying to dissect the words that Ava had just revealed to her. Dr. Janson then stood up and mumbled something to Ava that Jane couldn't make out.

"Listen to me, Jane." Ava started to explain. "I am going to tell you something that you might not want to hear."

Jane waited nervously as she fiddled with her fingers.

"We are going to enter some subjects into the maze, and they happen to be some of your friends."

Jane looked at them dumbfounded and stared at Dr. Janson "What are you talking about? Please don't take them away from me."

Ava looked at the papers in her hand and glanced over them carefully. She then opened her mouth and started speaking. Jane barely heard her voice because she was struck with shock from what words came out of her mouth.

"Galileo"

"Minho"

"Albert"

"Nick"

and

"Newton"

Jane stared at the ground, anger started to boil inside her. She could feel her face flush a cherry red as steam practically shot out of her ears.

"I'm so sorry Jane, I didn't want this to happen." Dr. Janson said as he held her hand. "I tried to argue against it, but they are the strongest candidates we have."

Jane had hot tears forming in her eyes. She pulled away from her father figure's hand, then clenched her jaw, tightly. "Why can't you just send me in with them. Didn't you say I was strong?"

"Jane you are a strong and valuable asset to this experiment, but if you went into the trials it will mess up what we have planned. Your better off out here and helping conduct the research."

Jane glared at Dr. Janson straight in the eye and tried to figure out a response. "Will they die?"

Ava Paige sighed and walked over to Jane as she put her hands on her shoulder. "They do have a chance of dying, Jane. This trial is survival of the fittest and we need to have the best, possible outcome. Does that make sense to you?"

"When are they leaving?" Jane asked as tears threaten to spill out of her now glimmering, eyes.

"This afternoon after everyone's shifts have ended."

Jane stood up, rapidly, and started walking towards the door.

"Jane, please listen to me —." Dr. Janson tried to state, but he was instead interrupted.

"Don't give me that sympathy card. You have ruined my life and all of my friends could possibly die in the trials. I am sick of the ways you are trying to find the cure. Putting people through physical torture just for a damn liquid. You know what, I'm done, I quit. Don't you try to stop me cause I will not be afraid to fight back."

Jane took one last look at Ava and Janson, then turned out of the room. Jane started to walk fast as an uncontrollable sob was making its way through her throat.

Janson yelled from down the hallway which caused everyone to look at the conflict between the father and daughter like relationship. "Please you must understand Jane, I am doing this for you."

Jane turned around and stood inches from his face, overrun with emotions she couldn't control.  
"Your dead to me!" she hissed and then quickly ran away before she could see his stone-faced reaction.

❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂

Jane ran all the way to Thomas's room because that is where her friends would get together and play games on Friday afternoons. She burst through the door and this caused everyone to jump. They all noticed the tears streaming down her face.

"What's wrong love?" Newt concerningly asked.

Jane burst into tears and ran over to him. She buried her head in his shoulders and let the sobs come out. She didn't care how stupid she looked because she knew this could be one of the last times she saw him. Jane finally settled down and took deep breaths to steady her heart rate.

Minho then quickly hopped off the couch and embraced her small figure. "Damn Jane, what'd they do to you."

She quietly took a seat with her hands on her head as Thomas came over and rubbed her back for comfort. "Tell us whenever you're ready."

Jane's throat became dry as her heart rate quickened once again. She slowly explained how some of them were going to be entered into the trials and how they wouldn't have any memories.

"Bloody hell," Newt muttered under his breath.

"Yo—you guys have to le-leave in an hour."

Tension, sadness, and confusion swept through the room. Everyone sat together in silence not sure what would happen. Then Jane knew what she had to do, in order to save her friends and corrupt the trials. She stood up and gave everyone a tight hug as tears started to spill again.

"Come on, Jane Bear," Gally said as he held her hand. "We aren't leaving, just yet."

Jane looked at her friends and shook her head.  
"No, you're not leaving. I won't let that happen. I can't let that happen."

"What do you mean love?" Newt pondered her statement as Jane headed for the door.

"I'm sorry guys, just remember why I did it."


	2. 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙬𝙤

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙬𝙤

The early morning hours in the glade were Jane's favorite time of day. She admired the little things in life, from how the sun would reflect off the stone maze, walls, or the fresh dew that capped the shamrock, colored grass. Her bare, warm ivory feet soaked in the plants below, as she reached her favorite spot. Climbing the tree quietly, not wanting to wake the exhausted gladers, she placed one foot after the other like she's done every morning. Jane reached the top then sat on a sturdy branch. Her tawny eyes closed when she inhaled a crisp breath of air that soothed her lungs in a way.

Jane was whisked out of her peaceful thinking when an accented voice called out in a hushed tone from below. "Jane? Are you up there, love?"

The brunette poked her head out and found one of her best friends, Newt. She motioned for him to join her during the last few hours of stillness before the glade would get back to work.

With ease, Jane moved over so Newt could sit down next to her. They stayed in a comfortable silence, watching the sun slowly rise to start the new day. Jane peered her gaze towards the boy and could see a solemn look in his chocolate eyes, which alarmed her. "Newt, is something wrong? Do you wanna talk about it?"

He shook his head, but Jane wasn't buying it. She knew him for as long as she could remember and could read Newt like an open book. "You can tell me anything, and you know that. If there's something you wanna talk to about, I'm all ears." Jane addressed her friend in a consoling tone, who was deep in thought.

Newt placed his arms on his knees then hunched over, his gaze never leaving the grey walls of the maze. "Well, I wanted to ask you something..." He paused, wondering how to inform the girl. "How do you stay so bloody positive?"

"What do you mean?" Jane's face furrowed trying to gather what Newt was asking.

"Don't you ever feel sad or alone in this place? Every time I see you, you're always smiling or helping others out."

Jane's heart practically stopped working. "Newt, look at me."

When he didn't budge, Jane cupped his cheek and forced him to face her. Newt's eyes were glistening against the young sun when they locked contact. "When did you start feeling like this?"

"The last couple of months." His voice was becoming laced with raspiness, holding back his tears. "I didn't know what to do at first. So I tried to ignore it, but the thoughts keep getting worse."

Jane couldn't comprehend the emotions she was feeling. She felt awful for not figuring out how upset Newt was, and she was to blind to see it. "Why didn't you tell me you felt this way?"

"I don't know." Newt shrugged off the concern. "I guess I didn't wanna ruin anyone with my shucking problems."

Jane pulled his head to her shoulder, then placed hers on top. She grabbed his course hand and intertwined it with her cool fingers."You should never feel like a burden, Newt. My problems are your problems. We come as a package deal—."

"Don't forget Minho," Newt commented as his spirits seemed to lift.

"Of course. I would never forget that shank."

The pair's laughs filled the air, which warmed Jane's heart. She threw her arms around his shoulder and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "You need to promise me you'll be okay. Tell me if anything is bothering you."

Newt mulishly lifted his head as his eyes softened. "I promise."

❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂

Jane was hiding behind the wooden counter of the glade's kitchen. She slowed her breathing, striving to stay as quiet as possible. The familiar humming of Frypan was getting closer as the brunette planned for an attack. When the chef rounded the corner to his usual station, Jane shot up and tagged him on the arm. "Your it now, Fry!"

The dark-skinned boy frantically jumped out of his boots, literally. For some reason, they were untied that morning, as Frypan tripped over his feet and landed on his back. The air was knocked out of his lungs for a split second.

Jane rushed over to the boy who was holding his chest, attempting to regain oxygen. "Shuck! Shuck! Are you hurt?"

"Relax, Jane." The girl helped the cook upright from the soft, but hard ground. He wiped off the clumps of dirt from his camouflaged shorts. "That was kinda funny." Frypan chuckled. "But you still owe me."

Jane relaxed her tense muscles that flowed throughout her small build body. "I get to work with you today! How fun does that sound?"

"Hm," Fry grunted while placing pots and pans on the stove. "I was hoping you'd be with Gally or Minho and Newt, but I guess it'll have to do."

"Thanks, Fry!" Jane rolled up her burgundy sleeves to rinse off her hands before preparing the food. "And I'll get to tell you who to tag next. Zart would be a good target."

The boy smirked amusingly. "Oh really? Why's that miss commander? Does it have something to do with how fast he can run?"

Jane bought her finger to her forehead, then scrunched her eyes, mocking like she was thinking about her response. "What? No. I wasn't going based on spe—."

"Yeah right, klunkhead."

"Okay, maybe I was," Jane confessed which made the two burst into laughter.

Ever since the first arrivals came up after Jane, they would start this tag game every month. It would begin with the new greenie at the bonfire, then he would tag anyone he chooses. It would continue like this until a new round starts the following month. The winner is whoever gets tagged the least amount of times. The only rule is you can't tag someone when they are working. Minho and Jane are currently tied for first, as Newt comes just short and is placed in second. The trio would most likely be in the lead, since they are the best runners.

"What has you two slintheads acting up this early in the morning."

Jane looked up from her working area to find Minho and Newt standing with their runner packs on. The doors would usually open around 7, so the runners received breakfast before anyone else.

Jane prepared a couple of plates that contained pancakes, eggs, and slices of bacon. "Breakfast is served, ladies. Make sure to thank the chef." Jane winked when she placed the food in front of them.

Minho dived straight into his scrambled eggs, which he soon realized was a mistake. His face puckered, unsure what happened to his favorite food. "Hey, Fry?"

"What's up?" The cook countered while flipping another set of pancakes.

"Did you make the eggs this morning?"

"No, Jane did. Is there something wrong?" Frypan questioned curiously, awaiting his answer.

Minho turned to Jane who was grinning ear to ear. "Listen, princess. I thought you've cooked with Frypan before?"

"Oh, believe me, I have!" Jane cracked another egg in the plastic bowl. "Do you like it?"

"Ugh, sometimes people and things don't mix. Like Frypan and the stove work well together." Minho was about to explain how unbearable her cooking was, until the grinding sound of the doors saved him.

Jane walked out from behind the counter and hugged Minho tightly. "Stay safe, shuckface."

"Always."

The Asian boy was going to wait on Newt, who was clearly in his head this whole time, but Jane motioned for him to go by the entrance. When he left, the shorter girl pulled Newt away from the hearing distance of others who were getting ready for breakfast. "What's going on? Are you having the same thoughts again?" Jane crossed her arms over her chest.

"No." His voice was firm and had no emotion intercepted. "I'm fine."

"You know I don't believe you."

Newt nodded then tightened his pack. "I have to meet Minho before he kills me." With that, the boy jogged towards the maze doors, leaving Jane worried for her best friend.

❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂

Frypan allowed Jane to have the rest of the day off since she got a few complaints about her cooking. When the cook explained a few, he meant the whole glade. To save her from the enduring embarrassment, Frypan took the blame and said the eggs were a bad batch.

Jane rumbled around in her dresser, hoping to find something that pardons her anxious thoughts about Newt. She pulled out a sketch pad along with a small mp3 player. The girl had asked the creators a couple of months earlier for something to do in her spare time, apart from all the rambunctious, teenage boys. Somehow, her request was granted as a small box came up for her. An assortment of colored pencils, a sketch pad, and a navy music player was inside. One thing that stood out to her, was how a note was attached to the items.

𝓓𝓮𝓪𝓻, 𝓙𝓪𝓷𝓮

You probably don't remember me, but my name's Grayson. I hope you are doing well inside of the trials. I've always wanted to ask, why you didn't say goodbye before you left me. This is stupid of me telling you this because you won't even know what I'm talking about. I saw you requested some items, so I snuck them in the box for you. Understand that I will always watch over you and ensure your safety from the horrible situations. Just remember I will always love you.

\- 𝓖𝓻𝓪𝔂𝓼𝓸𝓷

The headphones entered her ears as a lovely song flowed, drowning out any outside noise. Jane started to sing along with the lyrics she's seemed to have heard before, but she couldn't remember where. Words escaped her tongue with ease, while her pencil delicately drew on the thin, paper.

I'll be seeing you  
In all the old familiar places  
That this heart of mine embraces   
All day and through

When Jane processed the poetic words, her busy mind raced to Newt. So she gratefully decided to surprise him with a special gift to hopefully brighten his day. Her hand outlined his detailed features and sharp jawline. His almond eyes took shape as she continued to sing.

In that small cafe  
The park across the way  
The children's carousel  
The chestnut trees  
The wishing well

A small tap on her shoulder startled the girl, as she nearly let out a shriek. She pulled out her earphones when Nick, the first in command, took a seat on the end of her bed. "You have a nice voice."   
He complimented, pleasantly.

Jane sent a polite smile. "Thanks. Did you need anything?"

"No ma'am. Just wanted to see how my right-hand man--." His round eye's widened. "I mean woman."

"Nick, it's fine." She amusingly chuckled "I know what you meant."

The oak haired boy glanced down at her sketch pad, then stared at it in awe. "You're an amazing drawer too. Damn, what can't you do."

"Cook."

Nick gasped, as he brought his hands to his mouth, jokingly. "So that was you who butchered my daily dose of vitamins."

Before Jane could respond, her bedroom door was swung open to reveal Zart. His face was a ghostly white that made his eyes stand out even brighter. "Somethin--Somethings, wrong."

"What happened? Is everyone alright?"

The sorrowful words that were spoken next changed her life forever. "It's, Newt."

❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂

Jane burst through the Med - Jack door, frantically looking for Newt. Her breathing quickened with a sense of fear that struck her. She passed every room in the structure, until the girl's heart shattered at what she came across. Newt was lying unconscious on a makeshift cot. His usual beige-colored skin was now pale, dried crimson blood was stuck on the edges of his dirty blonde hair, and one of his legs was elevated higher than the rest of his body as it looked painfully swollen.

Minho was sitting on his bedside, holding his head in his hands. He didn't even notice Jane standing there at the doorway.

"What happened?" Jane's feminine voice held a sense of brokenness fastened in between. The keeper looked up at the shaken girl, while his eyes were bloodshot.

"I- I found him."

Jane knelt on the other side of Newt and grabbed on to his hand firmly, afraid to let go. "Where Minho? What happened to him?"

Minho shook his head while the events were engraved in his brain like a tattoo."I shouldn't be the one to tell you."

"Please, Minho." Jane's usually bright eyes flickered downcast "I need to know." Her voice was hurt where you can barely hear over a whisper.

Minho stood up, then crossed his arms, attempting to calm himself down. "He jumped off the maze wall, Jane."

The small girl's heart shattered more than ever before. "What do you mean he jumped? Like he tried to..." Jane was didn't even want to say the venomous words. The girl knew he was having lonely thoughts and struggling from time to time, but ever since she had that talk with him, Newt seemed like a happier person.

As soon as Minho hummed a response, a sob hitched at Jane's throat. She wrapped her trembling arms around Minho and cried uncontrollably. The pair stood in each other's comforting embrace, not knowing what to do next.

It's been about a week since the incident, and Jane stayed right by Newt's side, not wanting to leave for anything. She was determined to be there when her friend wakes up. By now, everyone in the glade heard that Newt had gotten hurt in the maze, but Minho and Jane made a decision to keep the details private.

Gally, Alby, Zart, and Nick all checked in during their spare time, seeing if Jane needed help with things. She mostly dismissed their offers and attended to changing his bandages or drawing to keep herself occupied. Minho took a couple of days off from running, but eventually had to return since he was the keeper after all.

Jane vowed to her family in the glade that once he woke up, she would do everything in her power to protect the boys mentally and physically. Even if that meant sacrificing her happiness.


	3. Chapter 3

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚

Jane would have despondent episodes where she'd breakdown seeing Newt in such a silent and fragile state. Sometimes, the boy's breathing isn't noticeable, which sent worry through her mind. Jane frantically checked his pulse every so often to make sure he was still with her.

A knock was heard against the wooden door of the room, where Newt was resting. Gally entered hesitantly, uncertain if he was allowed in. Jane flashed him a weary smile, attempting to reassure one of her best friends. "It's alright, Gally. You can come in."

The taller boy studied Newt's body, concerned for the well being of everyone in the glade.

Tears started to form on the rims of Jane's small eyes, as she tried to remain strong. She held onto Gally's hand then reluctantly let the tears fall, silently. The keeper noticed her lip trembling, so he stood with his arms open, ready to give the girl an embrace. She cried into his arms as he held her, like a delicate glass about to break.

Jane chuckled then wiped away the water on her eyes. "Thanks, Gally. I really needed to hear that." Holding her brother closer in her arms, she was thankful for the outgoing support of those she loved, even if she didn't express it too often.

"Gally? We need you, now. A structure might collapse if you don't go and fix it."

"Well, see you later Jane. Don't have too much fun without me." The girl laughed as he raced out of the room, leaving Jane in her uneasy thoughts. She had to admit, her body was filled with exhaustion from the lack of rest she'd been getting the last week. She relaxed her head on the wall behind her, then drifted off into a heavy sleep.

❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂

There was a bare, white room filled with a tense presence. Jane could see herself sitting in a steel chair, along with another boy to her right, but she couldn't make out any features of him. She was about a pre-teen in this vision, while the others she would have prior consisted of her current state.

An older man, dressed in business attire, stared at the kids through a transparent window, which overlooked the training area. Once again, no features were clear.

Younger Jane clasped hands with the boy to her side, then with a calmness like she was focusing, firmly closed her eyes. Their breathing was steady as the pair seemed to move together.

"Concentrate. Feel each other's energy, emotions." The observer commented authoritatively. "You are one soul, one mind, and one flesh. Use this connection to your advantage. This skill should allow you to communicate telepathically."

Jane couldn't audibly hear what was happening inside of her younger self, but she knew it was something immense.

Next, a woman with golden, colored hair tied strictly in a bun, walked into the room, admiring the two children with a face of success. "Thomas, I want you to think of something sad and see if your sister can react to it. I need to know if the test results are accurate."

The boy, named Thomas, obeyed when his face scrunched with pain. As soon as the event crossed into his head, Jane shed a tear that ran down her cheek.

"These kids will be the future, Ava." The same man from before had a deceiving smile, forming. "We will finally be able to find a cure."

❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂

Jane's eyes fluttered open when a warm sensation was felt on her right hand. She glanced over to see Newt staring back at her. His eyes were glossed with a sense of guilt, that Jane wished he didn't have to feel. The brunette bent down to his side and held on to his hand. A sob was making it's way to her throat, for at least the tenth time that week. She wished her feelings wouldn't get the best of her, but they always overpowered. Pressing a soft kiss to his knuckles, triggered the response, and she couldn't' hold it in any longer. Droplets streamed down her face, as the injured boy cupped her cheek, consolingly.

"I thought I lost you." Her voice was hoarse, with sadness. "I-I don't know what I would have done if you didn't come back alive."

Newt shifted over the best he could on his sleeping arrangements. "Come, here." He motioned to the space next to him.

Jane laid down, her tears didn't stop. She hugged his weakened abdomen, as Newt ran his slender fingers through her brown hair. He pressed a kiss to her temple, trying to calm the girl. "I'm still here, love. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."

"I wish you would have told me you were feeling like this, again. You could be dead right now, and we didn't even get to hug this morning." Jane held on to his shirt that was damp from all the tears shed. "If you didn't come back alive, there is no way I could live my life without you. You're my best friend."

Newt let out a deep breath, forgetting about the hurt he had put his friends through, especially Minho and Jane. After over 15 minutes of silence, he looked down at Jane who was fast asleep, after all the emotions she had experienced in the past days. Newt promised to always be there and never let anyone hurt her, including him. She had already felt one of the worst pains in her life, probably more than the thoughts in his head.

The boy knew he loved her.

It hunts him that he will never be hers, but she will always be his.

❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂

(3 years later)

Jane engulfed a breath of oxygen in her system. "What's wrong shuckface, can't keep up?" She was running back from her regular route in the maze, when she met up with Minho. Jane loved a friendly competition, so every time she ran, the pair would race back to the glade.

"I'm not even trying, Jane. I run way more than you and my body is just shucking exhausted," Minho commented on an excuse while jogging slowly.

"Yeah, exhausted from losing."

This must-have sparked something in Minho because just as they came from around the corner to the final stretch in the maze, he gained speed and attempted to pull ahead. Jane and Minho were shoulder to shoulder as they step foot in the grass.

"Good job Mean - Hoe, you almost beat me." Jane laughed as they walked towards the map room to sketch out their day.

"Looks like we're due for a rematch in a couple of days." Minho sarcastically remarked. "But don't be sad if you lose. We all know I'm faster than you."

They'd mapped out their routes for the day, as Jane was eager to eat food. The girl quickly went to her room in the Homestead, then scavenged through drawers to pick out some fresh clothes. Before Jane could leave for the showers, a knock was heard at her door.

"Jane, can I come in love?" The familiar accent she's grown accustomed to, rang out in the air like a melody.

The brunette nodded, even though Newt couldn't see it. "You can come in, is everything alright?"

Newt shook his head as he entered the commander's room. He ran his hands through his dirty blonde hair, which he seemed to do often when he was stressed. "Are you with the builders in your next rotation?"

Jane furrowed her arched eyebrows. "Yeah, why? Should I be concerned about a beetle blade stalking my ass?" Her attempt at joking didn't work. Newt instead sat down on the edge of her bed, showing no sign of a reaction.

"Gally has been an ass to everyone lately." Newt sighed frustratingly. "He got into a bloody fight with George today."

Jane internally groaned and put her fingers on the bridge of her nose. All she wanted to do was take a shower, eat some of Frypan's dinner, and go straight to bed. The girl was too tired for this klunk.

"What did George do that made Gally so upset. Sure he has a temper, but he wouldn't purposely hurt another Glader without a reason."

Newt glanced at Jane quickly, then dropped his chocolate eyes to the ground.

"What aren't you telling me?"

"Jane, George was talking to some of the builders and said how he wanted to "get closer with you". I have a hard time believing that's a bloody good thing."

Jane's brown eyes widened as nervousness washed over her. Ever since George has gotten to the glade, he never made her feel comfortable. He was always trying to flirt with her and it made her uneasy.

Newt continued, "We are going to call a gathering tomorrow and discuss what Gally's punishment is going to be, and how we're going to deal with George."

"Okay." Jane agreed, dreading to hear the disgusting comments from the keeper. "I'll round up all of the keepers around lunch tomorrow and then we can decide what to do."

Newt stood up, facing the shorter girl. He didn't want anything to happen to her. After his accident, Newt remembered the words he'd promised her.

"I will never let anybody hurt you, including me."

"Should we grab some dinner now, I bet your starving since you ran all day."

Jane grabbed her pile of clothes off the bed, with care. "I was gonna go shower." She then wafted her sweaty scent towards her nostrils, as Newt plugged his nose. "But unless you wanna inhale this all evening..."

"You should take a shucking shower. I don't wanna smell that klunk at dinner."

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When Newt and Jane got to the kitchen, they were in deep conversation about how she had beaten Minho again.

Miho pushed to the front of the line, jumping ahead of Jane. "What's all of the piece of klunk I hear you talking?"

"I was just telling Newt how I beat you at running again." The second in command braggingly pushed her wavy hair behind her shoulders. Minho shook his head with disappointment, then received his food from Frypan.

"Hey, Fry, what's for lunch!" Jane happily asked since, hunger was gnawing at her stomach.

"Today." The cook plates the entree. "We are having chicken noodle stew."

"That's my favorite Fry, thank you!"

Frypan gave her the plate, then sent her a salute.  
"When you're in the maze for your next job rotation, just let me know and I can hook you up with your favorite dishes." he winked and returned to serving.

Jane walked over to her usual table which consisted of Zart, Jeff, Clint, Alby, Minho, Newt, and Chuck.

Chuck is like a little brother to Jane and she loves the boy to death. It's a shame that he's so young and a slopper, but he brings some light to everyone's lives.

Jane plopped herself down across from the boy. "How's it going, Chuck?"

"Oh. Hey, Jane," he muttered when sadness swept his face.

"What's wrong, did anyone hurt you because I swear, if they did, I will get my fist and shove where—."

"No, no, nothing like that." Chuck interrupted as he laughed. "I just haven't gotten to pull pranks on anybody in a long time."

Jane took a deep breath and chuckled at herself. It was funny how fast she went into protective mode, almost like a mother watching her children.

Minho and Newt sat on either side of the girl, while the group of friends laughed and talked. Jane looked around and thought how familiar it was to see a group of friends laughing like this, but when she thought about it her mind went blank. Almost like she couldn't grasp the memory she had.

❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂

"Well Dr. Janson, it looks like Subject A - 14 is stronger then we expected. She has almost gained access to some of her memories without even realizing it. I think it's about time to send in Subject A - 2 to test the willingness of the Group."


	4. Chapter 4

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙧

(3 years ago)

Jane was on an important mission. It's been about a couple of weeks since Newt had gotten hurt, and he has been struggling. His crippled walk is a troubling task he's still learning to overcome. Jane could make out Gally, working on building another hut with his team. She made her way quietly towards the tallboy, then out of nowhere, jumped onto his back. "Captain Gally! I need to ask you a huge favor."

He ended up dropping all the supply wood that was in his convey, to catch Jane. This wasn't the first time, the second in command had pulled a surprise stunt like this. "Can I help you?" Gally had sarcasm arising from his mouth.

"Can you make Newt a pair of crutches? I always feel bad when he misses out on things." Jane began to feel saddened as the British boy swarmed her mind. "And I know he would appreciate it until his body heals."

"One set of crutches coming up." Gally agreed to end the conversation and get back to work. When Jane laid her head in a comfortable position on his back, Gally released one of her legs out from underneath his sand-colored arms.

Jane attempted to hold on for dear life, but landed straight on her backside. "Shuck you, Gally."

The keeper laughed hysterically at the girl who was whimpering from the impact. She stuck out her smaller hand and waved it around like an annoying child begging for an adults attention.

Gally rolled his ivy eyes, then returned to gather the wooden beams, that we're now on the ground. Before Jane was able to pull herself up, a hand firmly hitched onto her waist. Her eyes went wide in un - comfort. She pushed herself away and locked gazes with none other than George.

"Why the hell did you do that?" Jane was beginning to get an attitude with the boy. She never liked him, and always felt uneasy in his presence.

George put his hands up in a surrender position. "Relax, babe. I was just trying to help, since Gally let you fall. I would never treat you like that."

Jane glared at him in utter disgust while backing away. "That's too bad. I'd let you fall right on your ass, and not help you."

He angrily grabbed at her slim wrist. Jane in response, swung her hand as it came crashing down on his face. The boy immediately cursed under his breath, while being doubled over. "Your gonna pay for that."

Gally noticed the escalating conflict and became worried. He urgently left his project, then protectively stood in front of Jane. He crossed his arms, which made them appear buffer than before. "If you ever touch, or so much as look at her. You're gonna wish I'd never came up in that box. So get back to shucking work, before I get Nick over here."

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Jane walked into the building where they would  
have an important gathering. She grabbed a lined notepad with an assortment of pens, then plopped down at a table in the back. Jane's hand-scribbled down evidence as thoughts flowed her mind about the possible outcomes of the meeting.

The buildings entrance opened as Newt and Alby walked in the room. "Hello love, how are you?" 

Newt was aware of how anxious Jane could get in certain situations, this could trigger one of those. She always had to be aware of her surroundings in the glade, which caused the atmosphere around her to sometimes seem panicked. The accented boy wondered if the real world was like this too.

"I'm doing fine." Her voice wasn't convincing. Something Newt had heard before. Even from himself. "Just trying to decide on what to do. I don't wanna punish Gally because I see where he's coming from, but we need to establish order."

Alby and Newt took a seat towards the middle. About a couple minutes later, all of the keepers were filling in, while talking amongst themselves about the day. Jane got up from the small table and walked to the chair in the center of the gathering hall. She was ultimately dreading this conversation.

Jane sat in between Newt and Alby, who were her second in commands. "Alright, everybody listen up. This gathering is in session. We will discuss the conflict between Gally and George as well as the alleged conversations George seems to have with the builders regarding me. Everyone, please wait till your called on to talk, or raise your hand after Gal has finished making his statement."

The keepers shook their heads, then went silent to hear Gally converse. Minho was there, but he liked to stand off towards the back. He hated gatherings with a passion and was only attending to speak his opinion, then leave.

"I just wanted to say that it wasn't my intention to fight George." Gally glanced around the room like he was looking for someone or something. His eyes locked with Jane's. He was definitely on edge.

"George has always been the guy who thinks he's better than everyone else. I was already annoyed with him until I overheard him talking about Jane. I wasn't thinking and I let anger get the best of me. I threatened George and then the next thing I knew I swung at him. I was so shucking pissed, and I didn't realize what I was doing until I heard people yelling at me. I'm sorry for doing that, I overreacted. I just don't wanna see Jane get hurt."

Gally finished his statement as a sigh escaped his lips. Jane knew that ever since his incident with the grievers a couple of months ago, he has never been the same. She couldn't imagine the challenges he had went through, but his anger especially has gotten worse.

"Thank you Gally for the statement. Now we will start taking ideas about what each keeper thinks we should do. I will write them down and then we will vote. Good that?" Each keeper agreed then Jane continued. "Okay, Zart the Fart, you're up."

The room was filled with chuckles along with snickers as Zart cleared his throat. "Well, I don't like the fact that Gally hit George, but I think it was necessary. Someone needs to put that shank in place before he gets himself into some trouble. To make it fair, we should give Gally one night in the pit. As for George, we should have someone keep an eye on him and make sure he stays in line."

When Zart concluded, there were some agreements in the room.

Jane wrote down his fair response. "Thank you Zart, I'll keep that in mind. Next is Winston."

Winston scratched his head nervously, while his foot bounced up and down. "I think Gally should be punished for what he did. He broke one of our rules and hurt someone. This isn't the first time this has happened and we can't risk anyone else getting hurt. I say we strip him of the keeper title and put him in the pit for a week."

This caused an uproar in the gathering hall. Some keepers sided with Winston while others with Zart.  
Gally rolled his eyes nearly out of his head."Winston, come on man. I was just protecting Jane."

"There isn't any evidence about what George has said except for you supposedly overhearing it, is that correct?"

Gally's face fumed with anger, the arguing got louder. Jane looked at the group of keepers irritatingly. She wanted this to all be over and finally have peace in the meeting, but that wasn't happening. There has never been one gathering where everyone agreed. "Everyone shut the hell up right now before I punish all of ya. You guys are acting like children. For the last shucking time, have some damn order around here."

Jane pressed her dainty fingers on her temples, rubbing her forehead in a circle.

Newt could see how stressed she was, so he stepped up. "We are going to continue and get this bloody meeting over with. I don't wanna hear anymore fighting or remarks until we are finished. If you speak without permission I will kick you out. Got it?"

The keepers one by one spoke and Jane wrote down all of the suggestions. Newt, Alby, and her talked away from the rest of the group and then came to a proper decision.

Alby's voice boomed out loud to address the keepers. "Looks like we're finished with the gathering, we have made our decision and we think Gally deserves one night in the pit, and then we watch George for any suspicious acts. If Gally fights someone again we will have to discuss more serious matters. Minho and Gally stay for a couple more minutes. The rest of you are dismissed. Get back to work."

❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂

"What are we gonna do about George?" Minho spoke up after everyone left the room.

Newt crossed his arms already angry at the possibility something could happen to Jane. "I think we should keep a very close eye on him, and if he tries to do anything to Jane, we'll have to bloody punish him."

"I agree with Newt," the commander stated sternly. "If he does anything to me, or as a matter of fact to any glader I will not be afraid to kick his ass. I don't care if that puts me in the pit. We are a family around here, one unit. I will do whatever it takes to protect this family. Good that?"

The guys looked at her wide-eyed and shook their heads. They knew Jane was tough and not afraid to protect her brothers. The Glade has seen dark times and she didn't want to live through that again.

"Okay, glad that's settled. Let's go get some of Frypan's dinner." As the group walked out of the building, there was a loud siren that blared through the glade.

"I almost forgot a new greenie arrives today."

❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂

About half an hour went before the box finally arrived like it did every month. Newt and Gally stood on either side of the box and then pulled at the heavy metal doors. Gally briskly jumped down into the room.

"Day one Greenie," he smirked as he lifted a frightened boy and threw him onto the ground.

Jane shoved Gally's arm. "Dammit Gally, be careful." She studied the boy who was frantically moving around. He had chestnut brown hair, dark brown eyes, and had some moles on his face. Jane couldn't help but think about how familiar he looked. They made eye contact and he gazed into her own, seeming to recognize her as well.

The water was about up to her throat when she faintly heard screaming and loud banging noises of people trying to break the glass.

"Jane, please don't do this."

She strained her eyes to find a boy looking at her with tears threatening to spill from his. She felt awful for leaving him, but she knew it was to protect him. Jane always loved him except not in a romantic way, he was like a brother to her.

"It's okay Thomas, I did this to save you."

Newt waved his hand in front of the frozen commander. "Earth to Jane, You're not falling in bloody love, are ya?"

"What the hell was that? Who's Thomas?"

"Shut up Newt." Jane pushed aside the images. "I was just looking at him. He seems a little familiar, but who am I kidding."

"We got ourselves a runner!" Zart called out loudly as other gladers started to laugh, which caught Jane's attention. She whipped her head up to see the boy running towards the maze.

"Are you serious?"

Jane annoyingly took off racing towards the boy who was heading into a death trap. She was just about to catch up when he tripped and fell. Jane quickly stopped on her heels, then walked over to him.

"Well shuck greenie, you have some wheels." Jane gripped onto his bigger hands to help him off the floor. "The names Jane and you're in the glade now. Do you remember anything like your name?"

The boy shook his head sadly then looked at the ground. He studied everything around him like a kid at a new school.

"I know this is all overwhelming right now but just promise me one thing. Don't ever go through those doors. Good that?"

The boy shook his head once more with confusion and then Jane motioned for him to follow her. They walked back over to the group where Newt and Alby were still standing. Alby stuck out his hand. "The names Alby, green bean, and this is Newt. We're second in commands here. The shank that ran after you just happens to be the first."

Newt shook the boy's hand when a smirk formed on his face. "For a second there I thought you had the chops to be a runner, til you face-planted."

"Way to go on his boost of self-confidence, Newt." Jane's sarcasm seemed to worsen as the years went on. You can thank Minho for that.

"Are you the only girl?" the boy asked Jane, looking around the glade for any other female.

Jane nodded. "Yep, sure am!"

"Don't be fooled that she's a bloody girl," Newt spoke up. "I know that she's tougher than most the shanks here and she's not afraid to beat the klunk out of anyone. So you better do what she says."

The newbie furrowed his face. "What is it with these weird words like greenie or klunk?"

The commanders laughed and then looked at the boy. "Don't worry greenie, it will become natural with time. Tomorrow I'll give you a grand tour of the glade and then we can assign jobs. Just take the remainder of the day to rest. Newt can you take him to Chuck for sleeping arrangements?"

Newt agreed and took the boy to Chuck. Jane couldn't help but feel drawn, or protective over the boy. She couldn't understand why, because she didn't even know him.


	5. Chapter 5

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙫𝙚

Jane could see herself again. This time she was about seven years old. Her shorter hair was pinned up in a little bun, while the carmel colored eyes looked brighter then she had ever seen them. Music was playing from a record player, flowing throughout the living room.

I'll be seeing you  
In all the old familiar places  
That this heart of mine embraces   
All day and through

When younger Jane turned to the left, there was a boy next to her. Similar to the other dream or vision she had.

This time, his familiar features were noticeable. He had wide, brown-colored eyes. A small mole on his left cheek, while his shorter hair cut just above his eyebrows.

The boy flipped through the papers on his coloring book, trying to find a time worthy page. "Should I color this?" He then held out a picture that displayed a circle with different lines and angles running through it. Some edges inside had dead ends where you couldn't pass it unless you colored over the lines.

Little Jane paid no attention except for her gaze never breaking from a door across the room. It was closed, but she looked as if she wanted to look straight through it.

"Sienna? Are you even listening to me?" The boy's voice was interlaced with annoyance.

"I need to know what the people in masks are doing." Jane or Sienna, rushed off the couch then made her way quietly to the bedroom door.

The boy held on firmly to her hand. "You're not allowed to go in there. Remember what mommy said? Help me finish my coloring instead."

"Stephen." The girl removed his grip as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. "First, the page you were coloring is a maze, not a picture. Second, don't you wanna know what's happening to daddy?"

His shoulders shrugged not understanding the logic that flowed through the tiny girl's brain. Jane held onto the cool knob of the wooden door, then slowly pushed it open.

As soon as the pair reached the room and entered cautiously, it smelled like death. All of the blinds were closed and the only source of light was the cracks from underneath the door.

A silhouetted figure appeared to be resting on the queen-sized bed. Jane, assuming it was her father who was just sleeping, stood at his bedside. Her short finger poked at her father's arm to wake the older man from his slumber. "Daddy? Are you awake?"

When there was no response, she knew something was wrong. Stephen motioned for the girl to leave the room, afraid to get in trouble. Before she could leave the bedside, a hand painfully gripped onto her forearm. She let out a panicked scream, which would surely alert for help.

The face of the attacker was visible as he got inches from Jane's face. His skin felt tough against hers, horrendous odor lurked from his mouth, and his whole body was covered in sores as layers of skin peeled.

He shook her back in forth aggressively. "Sienna, I need you to kill me." Spit flew from his tongue. "If you love your father. You need to kill me."

Stephen yelled for help and attempted to rip the girl away from the man's arms. "Please daddy! Don't hurt her."

"KILL ME, KILL ME, KILL ME!" His pleaded cries grew louder. "I can't stand the swarm of voices in my brain anymore."

The girl was paralyzed in fright for her life and her father. Tears ran down her face, scared of the man.

"Dammit, Sienna. KILL ME! KILL ME! I'LL FINALLY BE AT PEACE!"

❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂

Jane woke up abruptly with unsteady breaths as sweat formed upon her head. It was about the time the runners would get up so she decided to forget the dream and wish Minho off. She got dressed then immediately ran to the east wall doors.

"Hey Minho, ready for your run?"

Minho turned around to face the girl. "Yep, just doing the same shucking routes every day. I'm kinda getting tired of it"

"Guess what Min?" Jane placed her chin on his shoulder to annoy him. "I'm in running rotation soon so you're stuck with me all day."

"I rather get stung and thrown off a cliff by a griever then run with you." Minho pushed her from his shoulder, then returned to stretching.

"Shuck off!" Jane stuck her middle finger in the air, quite shocked at Minho who doesn't like it when they run together. Jane knew he was jealous her legs had faster strides than his own.

The doors started to open with a grinding sound against the ground.

"Hey Min, don't die" The brunette called after the keeper for vocal reassurance. She hated seeing one of her friends runoff in the maze, especially without her. Jane liked the solace feeling when she could see her friends in eye range.

Minho started to jog, then called back over his shoulder. "I never die, princess."

"He never dies." Jane's voice sounded small to copy the exact words Minho had said. With hunger building up in her stomach, she wanted to get breakfast. If the girl missed her daily breakfast, the whole glade would feel the effects. Jane was walking towards the kitchen to meet Frypan, that's when she saw Newt showing the new boy a griever in the window. She could remember her first look at the beast like it was yesterday.

She hadn't heard these noises before, but they freaked her out. Jane then noticed a small window on one of the stone walls, which she hasn't seen before.

The short girl walked over and peered through it. What Jane saw made her face flush a ghostly white and her hands started to sweat. Through the window was some sort of beast that was half-animal, half-machine, and had metal spikes sticking out of its body.

Jane swiftly ducked past some trees near the deadheads, hoping to startle the two. "What are you doing!"

When she popped out from behind the shrubs, her voice made the greenie put his hands up in a defensive position. Newt, on the other hand, didn't do anything except have his face flush a pale color.

"Shucking hell." Newt held onto his chest, calming the erratic breathing.

Jane chuckled proudly her scare had once again been successful. She was ultimately a pro at pranking or scaring the gladers, along with Chuck. "It looks like you two just klunked your pants."

"I think I did, ugh, klunk my pants." The greenie tried to make use of the glader slang, but it didn't sound natural at all.

Jane cringed at his lame attempt, but gave him credit for trying. "That didn't sound right coming out of your mouth. Anyway, did you see the griever yet?"

His gaze peered back to the rusted, window on the stone walls. "Yeah I did, it was pretty terrifying if you ask me."

"Well, that's why you should never enter the maze." Newt crossed his muscular arms, which made Jane's observance go to it. She wasn't aware of how attractive his hands looked. They appeared to be soft then callused at the same time.

Thoughts immediately overwhelmed her mind. "Wait, attractive? Jane snap out of it. He's your best friend, nothing more."

Newt didn't say one word, but he had caught the girl staring. This lifted his confidence in making Jane his, but he tried not to give his hopes up.

"Then how come those guys did earlier?" the boy's reply bought the commander out of her head.

"No questions till the tour and then you can ask me anything you want, deal." Jane compromised with the curious boy, who seemed to have a lot of shucking questions. "Now, let's get some breakfast."

❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂

Jane sat across her younger brother, like she did every supper. "Good Morning Chuck, how are you?"

"Pretty good! His loose curls swayed on his head. "I just miss you as a partner in crime. You're so busy and we never have time to hang out anymore."

Jane took a bite out of her food, eager to finish early. "I'm sorry you feel that way Chuck, but everything has been crazy. I promise after the end of my job rotation, I'll take a day off for just the 2 of us. How's that sound?"

Chuck smiled widely, bigger than ever before. His big brown eyes had sparkles in them.

"Until then." Jane motioned at the new boy who was sitting next to her. "Greenie will have to take my place until he gets a job."

"No one can replace you, Jane, you're like a king at pranking."

Jane jokingly bowed and this caused Chuck to laugh. When she made him laugh it warmed her heart."Which reminds me, we have a tour to get to greenie. Let's go. Newt do you mind taking over my spot for an hour?"

Newt gave her a thumbs-up as he stuffed some of Frypan's bacon into his mouth.

❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂

"Before we start, don't ask any questions until the end. Understand?"

The boy nodded his head with fear that speaking may get him in trouble.

"So greenie, this is our home called the glade. We don't know why we're here. All we know is that the creators put us in this place and are watching us throughout the day. Once a month they send up a new greenie, and this month it happens to be you. Everyone who has come up in that box has no memory of their life outside of here."

Jane led the boy around the glade and pointed out different areas such as the Homestead, Deadheads, and the Gathering Hall. "We have different jobs around here. Medjacks, sloppers, baggers, track - hoes, slicers, bricknicks, and builders. You will get to try out every job and the keepers will decide what fits you best."

"What about the guys who ran into the maze earlier, you still never answered my question?" His voice was filled with curiosity, which Jane would, unfortunately, find out will become a dangerous thing.

Jane placed her hands on her hips then turned to face the taller boy. "What did I say about the questions, greenie."

The boy's dark brown eyes sent her an apologetic look.

"Lighten up greenie, I'm not that mean," she playfully shoved his shoulder, which made him crack a smile. "Between those walls are a maze. Everything we do here is to try and get out of it. A group of people called runners go out into the maze every day and try to find a way out. We don't usually let greenies try out for those roles because you have to earn it and prove yourself. Being a runner is also a lot of hard work and you risk your life every time you step through those doors. If you didn't already realize, the maze changes every night, and new sections open."

Jane led the boy up to a platform in a tree that overlooked the glade. She loved to take newbies up there to show them a panoramic view. "We only have 3 main rules here. The glade has been through troubling times and you need to respect this place. We have sacrificed a lot to get to where we are today."

Her face flushed a sense of hurt the boy didn't pick up on. Memories swarmed through her mind of the hard things the glade had endured. "The first rule is to never harm another glader, this only works when we have trust. Rule number two is to do your part. We don't have time for any freeloaders. Finally, rule number three is to never go past those doors, good that?"

The greenie shook his head as he seemed to soak up every word the commander was saying. His wheels began to turn in his brain, anxious to ask the troubling questions.

"Okay, green bean. Jane rested her arms on the wooden rails below. "Ask any questions you have."

"What's your job other than being first in command?" The boy jumped quickly at the opportunity.

"I help around the glade and work for the primary jobs. Builders, track - hoes, medjacks, and a runner. I have a job rotation that I go through every week."

(time skip)

"Shuck greenie, how does your brain not explode from all of those questions." Jane laughed as they walked back towards the homesteads.

"Honestly I have no idea, I'm just so overwhelmed."

A smile formed on Jane's face as she looked forward to the monthly event. "You start trying out for jobs tomorrow, but tonight is a little surprise to honor your welcome."

"What is it, should I be afraid?"

"Don't worry greenie, go and get some rest. Just make sure you meet me here at nightfall."


	6. Chapter 6

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙞𝙭

Jane held the burning torch firmly in her grip. She was standing alongside the keepers, who were awaiting her signal. The commander stood in the center, pacing around the group of teenage boys. "I would like to personally welcome our new greenie to the glade. This celebration is in honor of you. Welcome home green bean."

With a slight head nod from the girl, Alby threw the first wooden torch into the firepit. "Light' em up!" The flame was at great heights, illuminating the surrounding areas.

The gladers erupted into cheers and shouts signaling the start of the monthly bonfire. Jane turned to look at the greenie who seemed deep in his head, not present. "Just enjoy yourself tonight green bean." The boy's eyes stared into hers, striving to spot any sense of a memory or vision from which he recognized Jane. Nothing. "Don't worry about the maze or your job. Have fun for me okay? I'll be over there if you need me."

Jane motioned her hands towards a group of muscular guys who seemed to be like the popular kids at school, then went their separate ways.

"You're not a party boy huh, Min?"

Minho looked up and saw Jane standing there with 2 glasses in her hands that contained a questionable looking liquid.

"Nope, not one bit." The runner shook his head. "I don't wanna be hungover for when I run in the morning." He patted for her to sit down next to him as Jane passed a drink which contained "Gally's secret recipe". No one knew what ingredients it was made of, but the gladers never dared to ask.

"Cheers, to another month in this hell," Minho said as they clinked glasses and took a quick swig.

About half an hour passed before Jane decided to go have some fun. You might as well live life to the fullest the best you can. You never know when you'll take your last breath. Especially here. "I'm gonna go find myself a competition to compete in, wanna come with?"

"Aright, princess." Minho agreed, wanting to see how many challenges Jane could win. "Let's go kick some shank's butt."

❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂

The greenie's voice echoed in her ears, like he was talking to her. "How can she chug that glass so fast. I could barely even drink one sip."

Jane slammed her glass down on the table below. "Done!" She glanced to her left and noticed Newt and the greenie on the other side of the bonfire. Jane had a puzzling face because she swore the boy was talking right next to her. She shrugged it off, probably just exhaustion, then went to go find Minho who was eager to watch the fight between Gally and his victims.

"Rematch next time, right Jane?" Ben shouted from a distance at the commander.

"Of course." The brunette agreed. "Just don't plan on winning."

Jane reached the middle of the party where Gally was fighting another glader. Gally pushed the opponent aggressively as he went tumbling into the crowd.

The audience let out loud cheers and applauses, watching the fight finish.

Gally popped his hand knuckles, ready for a better challenger. "Who's next?"

"I'll fight ya, Gal," Jane replied as she stepped into the brawl circle. Cheers started to erupt as all of the gladers pushed in to watch the fight between the commander and the reigning champion. They have fought before, but the wins go back and forth.

"You know I don't wanna hurt you, Jane."

She stretched out her arms as a yawn escaped her lips. "Don't worry Gally, make sure you remember that when I kick your shuck ass again. Are you ready to start? Or what?"

"Go" Gally's face flushed red with embarrassment, not wanting to seem weak in front of the surrounding boys.

Just as she was about to start, Jane glanced into the crowd and locked eyes with the greenie who was watching nervously. The brown-haired girl winked at him, with confidence in her abilities.

Jane raced towards the taller boy, who had a bigger advantage. The thing was, builders only used brawns. She knew that brains were bigger than strength. So with a swift movement with her hand, she punched Gally in the stomach. Not hard, but just enough to cause cockiness. This is how she always wins.

The builder laughed at her weak attempt. "Is that all you got sweetheart?"

She quickly rushed towards Gally, then jerked to the left before any contact was made. Jane ended up kicking his legs underneath, from behind him. His height gave him a slight disadvantage.

"Make sure to say, uncle." Jane held his buff arms in a locked position, allowing pain to course his body. Unfortunately, Gally pushed from her grip, grabbed her hands, then swung her over his shoulder. With a smaller stature for her body, this happened to be a problem.

Jane pushed herself up onto her arms, whimpering like a dog. Luckily the girl knew exactly what she was doing. "You stupid twat! That her like a mother."

Gally's reaction played like Jane expected. He rushed over and offered a hand off the ground. As he did Jane had a smirk on her face. She sprang into action, tripping Gally underneath his feet once more. This time landing on his back outside of the circle.

The crowd chanted Jane's name while holding up their glasses. Minho and Newt seemed to be the most proud out of all the gladers. They cheered so loud, the grievers would surely split right down the middle.

"Sorry Gal, good game yeah?" Jane helped the builder off the dirt floor.

Gally looked pissed at first but then a smirk formed on his face. "Always fun to compete against Jane, now if you'll excuse me. I'm gonna go kick another shank's ass."

❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂

Jane wanted some time alone, so she walked to the deadheads. This was her favorite spot to think about everyday life or questions that went unanswered.  
"I wonder what that dream was about earlier, and if I have a brother."

The brunette closed her eyes to focus on the small noises that became faint such as the gladers at the party, or beetle blades scurrying around.

All of a sudden, she felt warmth radiating from beside her. The girl automatically knew who it was, since he has joined her up in the trees multiple times over the years. Her eyes fluttered open to meet the side profile of Newt. He was staring at the raven night sky, which looked brighter from the embered fire in the distance.

"Peaceful, isn't it?" Jane adored the silence that came with nature. Everything seemed to appear normal for a short period. When no response came from the boy, she turned once again and saw his chocolate eyes looking affectionately at her with such softness that made her heart melt. An unfamiliar feeling swarmed in her stomach, almost like a kaleidoscope of butterflies. "What are you looking at? Do I have some of Frypan's food still on my mouth?"

Newt wanted to tell her how he was really in love with his best friend, but he wasn't prepared for the rejection if she didn't feel the same way. "Your eyes look really pretty. The moon reflects off of them."

"Thanks, Newt." She could feel her face getting hot, but luckily it wasn't noticeable in the night. "And your eyes are..." Jane paused and got inches from his face. Her heart rate picked up tremendously. "A nice klunk color."

"I didn't know my eyes were that bloody boring." Newt smiled, directing his comment at Jane.

"I'm playing. You have very pretty eyes."

Silence swept over them. But it wasn't awkward, the stillness was comforting. Newt's mind traveled to a gift he wanted to give Jane. Even if she friend-zoned him, the brunette would still have something special from the British boy. "I want you to follow me."

Newt made his way down the tree, while Jane followed a little confused about what was happening. They walked out of the deadheads with a sense of tension. Newt was heading towards his room in the Homestead, which sent red flags in Jane's conception.

"Wait?! Are we gonna...That's not possible. It's my time of the month! I can't do this."

Jane externally chuckled when they reached the bedroom, and Newt immediately went to scrambling through his dresser. He looked up to see the commander with a smile on her face. "What are you laughing about? Is there something wrong with my bloody face now?"

"Nope." She relaxed her tense muscles, then sat on his bed. A soft burgundy blanket was resting at the foot of his mattress, so she brought it to her arms for warmth.

"Why am I getting so worked up? We aren't even dating.....Dating?! What is wrong with me."

"Dating? Who are you dating?"

Jane's breathing hitched in her throat. Fear to even look at the blonde to her right. "Newt, you must have misheard me. I said—-."

"I didn't say anything, love." Newt pulled out a small cloth bag from the drawer. "Did you hear something?"

Jane was alarmed at the male voice she heard, which was similar to earlier at the bonfire. Was someone talking to her? Or has she gone mad? Not wanting to ruin Newt's thing or whatever he was doing, she shook her head. "No, sorry. I may have taken to many shucking swings of Gally's recipe."

The second in command laughed then sat beside Jane. He placed the small bag into her hands, delicately. "I-I made this for you." His input was filled with nervousness. "I hope you like it, but if you don't, I won't be mad or anything."

Jane untied the silk ribbon attached to the top, excited to find out her surprise. When she took out the item, her eyes glimmered. A silver necklace was revealed that had a pendant at the base. On the pendant was a carving of an orchid, her favorite flower.

She was left speechless, making Newt nervous. "Do you like it? I—."

Jane threw her arms around him and held the boy tightly in her embrace. "Thank you, Newt. This means so much to me."

No words were spoken for some time as they seemed to know what each other's emotions were without needing vocal expressions.

"Why did you make me this anyway?"

Newt fiddled with his course fingers. "Well, you know how we don't exactly remember how old we all are." Jane nodded, then he continued. "I decided to celebrate the third anniversary of your arrival in the glade. You were the first person, and never got any sort of bonfire or bloody celebration. I couldn't imagine staying in this place, by myself, for a month. You're probably the strongest shank I've ever met. So I wanted to recognize you for a bit, since everyone seems to forget about making you feel happy."

His explanation left Jane's face damp. The carmel eyes spilled tears onto his blanket. She sat there admiring the cherished gift Newt has given her. She couldn't put into words how grateful she was for him. "I don't know what to say, other than asking for you to help with the clasp."

Newt chuckled. "Alright love. Hold your hair for me." He placed the gem around her neck, then tried to connect the silver. Jane could feel his cool fingertips brushing against the back of her skin. It sent shivers throughout her body, while her stomach churned. The girl finally gave in to her raging feelings after ignoring them for too long.

"I'm in love with Newt."

The same male voice echoed in her head. "You're in love with Newt? Wait? Is this Jane?"

Before she could make a reaction, the door swung open. Minho's eyes widened, his gaze bounced between the pair. "Did I interrupt something? Cause I can come back--."

"No!" Newt and Jane both simultaneously responded.

The Asian flashed a smile. "Like I believe that...Anyway, the greenie is about to fight Gally. Wanna watch?"

❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂

Jane jogged over and then squeezed herself to the front of the circle. She could see the greenie being shoved into the crowd, then pushed back into the circle by Gally. Jane chuckled at this and wanted to see if the greenie could fight.

Gally started to pace backward in the ring. "Cmon greenie, not done yet."

"Stop calling me greenie." the boy uttered firmly as he off the ground.

"Stop calling you that." Gally laughed. "What do you wanna be called, shank?"

The crowd erupted into laughter which seemed to make something click in the boy. The greenie ran then pushed Gally, which didn't seem to faze him as the boy was pushed back on the ground again.

"You know what, I think I'm settled on shank,"

The greenie and Gally both started pushing each other until the boy quickly moved to the right which caused Gally to fall on his stomach.

"Not bad for a greenie -." the boy was interrupted by Gally tripping him from underneath his feet. A move he had learned from Jane.

This caused the greenie to fall on his side and hit his head. Cheers and shouts came from the crowds' mouth and everyone watched what would happen.

Jane looked at the boy who seemed to be thinking about something. He started to mouth a word and abruptly stood up.

"Hey, Thomas." He looked around with a smile on his face. "I remember my name, I'm Thomas!"

Jane's heart dropped as she remembered that name in her dream.

Thomas was the name of her brother.


	7. Chapter 7

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣

Jane couldn't shut her eyes the evening of the bonfire. The words "Thomas is her brother" never faltered from her conscience. Of course, she wanted to believe the greenie was her sibling, but she didn't perceive if the creators implanted those visions in her mind. Instead of finding rest, her sketch pad laid sturdily on her lap. The only thing that kept her occupied and at peace, was nature and drawing. She flipped to her page of the unfinished British boy, then worked diligently throughout the late-night hours. The same repetitive song played in her ears, which drowned out any sound in the glade.

Her mouth chimed with poetic lyrics, not informed of the sun now beaming down from the small window. The wooden door to her room opened as her small brother groggily walked in. Sloppers were expected to be at work on time, since the glade was always in need of assistance. This morning was different for him. Jane had promised a day off with Chuck to spend quality time together. Unaware of the young boy's presence, Jane kept singing, focusing on the art piece.

Chuck pulled out her wired earphones. "You should sing more often."

The girl startlingly glanced at the curly-haired who was standing near her bedside. She patted down to the space in front where her sketch pad was prior. "You wanna see what I've been working on?"

With a nod of his head, Chuck sat on the bed then rested his back on her chest. Jane's heart dropped at the small boy who wanted nothing but a family. She cursed the creators who put this boy in the maze. "Here." She lifted the page that contained pencil indentions. "I've been making a gift for Newt."

"You're so talented, Jane. You can lead, draw, sing, and fight." Chuck studied the sketch pad amazed, then turned his head to look at the girl. She embraced him, feeling horrible for how young he was in such an unfortunate situation. Chuck carefully touched the pendant hanging from her neck. "Did Newt make that?"

Jane nodded softly. "Yeah, he did."

Chuck examined the carved object like he was figuring out different measurements. "Alright. I'll get you a special gift too."

"Chuck, you don't have to get me anything. All I need are hugs from you."

"Can you sing for me at least before we have to get going?" The little glader peered into Jane's eyes. She agreed and played the music through her electronic.

Her voice rang out with a smooth melody that would lighten anyone's cranky mood. While Chuck enjoyed the lyrics, he fiddled aimlessly with Jane's small fingers. They stayed in each other's company until Newt walked in with a wooden box in his hands.

The blonde boy's heart eased at the sight of Jane cuddling with Chuck, and the angelic voice flowing from her. She truly loves Chuck, probably more like a son than anything. "I've brought some things that came up in the box for you yesterday. We didn't see it until this morning."

"Thanks, Newt. You can leave it on my dresser." She turned to Chuck in front of her. "And I will meet you in a little bit. I still have to get changed. I don't think you wanna stay in here for that. "

Newt respectfully nodded and walked out the bedroom, Chuck at his heels. Before he turned the corner, the boy smiled mischievously. "I bet Newt would like to see you change."

"Chuck! You piece of klunk." Jane's face flushed red, while her mouth was gape.

After she was alone in her room, Jane inspected her monthly supply of girl necessities. Nothing was out of the usual except for a white envelope addressed to her. Jane was hesitant to open the sealed piece of paper, but soon found herself ripping the top.

sᴜʙᴊᴇᴄᴛ ᴀ - ¹⁴

This is an important notice we must issue from our headquarters. You may be unaware, but you're an error in the maze trials. To place the testing back on track and stop the developing relationship between you can Subject A - 5, we have to eject you from your current living situation. We have initiated the final stage by sending Thomas into the trials. You will be sent instructions in a couple of days by the box. If you tell anyone about our communication, your friends will be eliminated. I hope we have a mutual understanding.

\- ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴏʀs 

Jane's hands trembled in fear, unable to wrap her head around the life-changing information. She wanted to tell her friends, especially Newt, everything that was happening. Only, apart of her knew the fatal consequences that could automatically be given if she spoke one word. So trying to get on with her day, she pushed aside the letter.

❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂

The air was a little heavier that afternoon. Minho had returned from his running route a lot earlier than expected, carrying Ben who was knocked out on his shoulder. The keeper explained how he'd heard a commotion from a nearby corridor and had found the runner on the ground. Minho looked for any indication of a sting, but couldn't find anything. No one knew if he was truly punctured by a stinger, but all we can do is treat him until he wakes up.

Jane had spent most of the day with Chuck by the bonfire, playing hide and seek, then raiding Frypan's kitchen. The cook wasn't too pleased with the pair stealing out of his space, but they eventually bargained extra assistance during their free time.

A possibility of Thomas being Jane's brother, burdened her mood throughout the day. When she saw the greenie helping Gally with the other builders, she decided to finally confront him.

"Thomas, can we talk?"

The taller boy placed down the plywood on a nearby table. "Umm, sure. Is everything alright?"

Jane was about to respond when Gally seemed to be listening to their conversation. She motioned for Thomas to follow, away from prying ears. They ended up on the platform in the trees they had been a couple of days ago.

"What I'm gonna ask sounds insane." Jane took a breath, aware of how weird her questions would be. She glanced down at her feet which were dangling loosely below. "Do you have dreams or visions of things that seem to be from the past?"

Thomas's attention perked up at the coincidence of the situation. "It's been happening a lot more now. I'll see my younger self with these doctors and all these computer screens or cameras."

"Did this woman with blonde hair tell you to imagine a scenario in your head? And where you were holding a girl's hand right next to you?" Jane's mood began to feel hopeful in finding out the truth.

Thomas's chocolate eyes widened. "They told me to imagine something that my sister could see. Are you the girl in the dream?"

"I wasn't completely sure at first, but when I kept having visions of two kids and a boy was named Thomas, I knew it had to be you. When you came up in that box, I felt like I recognized you somehow." Jane's suspicions were right, the dreams were real. Thomas was her brother. And she was his sister. "I can't believe I have a brother. That's shucking crazy."

"So you're my sister." His voice was laced with a sense of happiness, Jane has never heard before.

"And I guess you're my brother." Jane shook her head in great disbelief. "That sounds so weird. I would have never thought in a million years I'd come across someone from my family.

"Can you hear me?"

Jane abruptly turned around to find Thomas with his hands on his knees, hunched over, while gazing out to the glade below. He didn't even move his mouth when she realized the voice was in her head.

"So that's the voice I've been hearing."

"I have no idea how the hell we can do it, but I wonder if it has something to do with that vision we both saw."

Jane burst out in excitement, as the realization finally set in. "Holy klunk, we're siblings."

❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂

"Welcome to Glader Tag, my fellow brothers. This new round starts with our greenie, Thomas." Jane stood on a log near the unlit fire pit, that was covered in soot. This happened to be one of the girl's favorite parts of the month, where a newbie would initiate the next game after the bonfire. They would have started at the celebration, but everyone was up a lot later than anticipated.

Jane hopped down from the tree stump, then took her usual place between Newt and Minho. Everyone in the glade was ready to outrun the green bean. Jane had felt bad for Chuck last month, so she allowed him to tag her first.

Minho, Newt, and Jane all stood in a circle, facing towards the middle. Their hands clasped onto each other's as each palm fit perfectly in another. The trio would perform a good luck ritual every time they had to compete. Did I forget to mention, the friends always team-up. I know, that's a shucking disadvantage, but it's been like that for years. The gladers had just gotten used to it.

"Alright, team." Minho addressed his two best friends. "We win every month, so we can't slack off this time. No greenie should ever beat us."

Newt tightened his grip on Jane's hand. "I think you bloody forgot how Ben has beaten me every month for the past two years. You guys always place first, and second."

"This is the month we reclaim our golden spots. Ben's injured and we've done this multiple times." Jane tried to lift the boy's spirits. He still felt hopeless because of his limp. The girl knew that, and did everything in her power to guide him through his emotions. "You guys ready to start?"

The friends went through their handshake, which consisted of elbow touches and a two-fingered salute, then got ready to run. Jane gave a thumbs-up signal to the greenie who was waiting on his marker. "Okay, Thomas. Let's start."

"Damn, Thomas is one ugly shank," Minho states out of completely nowhere, something Jane had gotten used too. The girl wondered if Minho meant it, since they were siblings and looked similar. Jane hasn't told anyone their relation, fearful of the possible conflicts it would bring.

The running of the gladers sent Jane out of her head. Her legs began to pump into a jog, since Thomas wasn't near her. She could hear talking between guys who were trying to help each other out. All of a sudden, a blur of a person was heading right towards the commander. Jane didn't react until she recognized it was Thomas. Her body jerked to the left, then she bolted across the glade. She could hear the footsteps smacking against the floor on her tail. Jane knew Thomas was fast, but not this fast.

She was still being chased, when the sound of rapid running stopped. Jane turned around to see Thomas now chasing Newt. The blonde-haired boy still has speed, but unfortunately, Thomas is much faster. Jane watched a little pained as the greenie reached out his hand and touched Newt's back. She could see how crestfallen his face appeared.

The first round in the game lasted about a couple of hours, just as the sunrise set behind the stone walls. Alby had called for all the gladers to head to bed since work would be bright and early in the morning. Before Jane headed to the homestead, she saw Newt sitting with his back to the maze doors. His gaze was fixated on his bad leg, which saddened Jane.

Jane sat down next to Newt, without saying anything. She could tell he was deep in his thoughts. Her dainty fingers intertwined with his, to show that she was there for him. Actions speak louder than words ever would, and the pair understood that.

The glade was filled with the snores of gladers as it was late a night. Jane looked at Newt who was peering at the dark sky. "Newt, you shouldn't feel bad about yourself or like a heavy burden. Your limp is a beautiful part of you. It's a reminder that you are human, and can get through hell. You've taken horrible problems and turned them into a masterpiece."

New plastered a small smile, turning his eyes to meet the girl he loved. "Tommy's fast. I used to be that way. My bloody decisions always seem to affect me in the worst possible ways."

"Well, you made a great decision to become my best friend." Jane smiled. "I hope that's not a mistake."

Once again, Newt had the urge to pour his heart out to Jane. He resisted, not wanting to risk the friendship. "You and Minho are the best shanks I've ever meet. So, that is by far one of the greatest decisions of my life."


	8. Chapter 8

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩

Jane woke up a little earlier in the morning. She wanted to officially make the greenie a glader. Not making any noise, the brunette carefully walked over the guys who would sleep on the cool grass, and made her way to a particular hammock.

"Thomas, wake up." Jane gently shook him on the shoulder, which caused him to wake with a start. Knowing the boy would probably react out loud, her hand clamped down onto his mouth. "Relax your okay, just try to stay quiet and follow me."

The two walked across the glade in the early morning hours. She enjoyed the peace that came along with it and how the sun struck the stone slabs. Jane arrived at a wall that had different names on it.

Newt

Minho

Gally

Alby

Chuck

Jane

She pulled out a knife from her back pocket, which caused Thomas to flinch and take a step back.

Jane chuckled, ironically. "Calm down, I'm not going to hurt my brother." She stated, placing the metal in his hand.

"Have you told anyone that we're related yet?" Thomas questioned, aware of how that information could change everyone's views in the glade.

Jane shook her head. "No, I don't wanna raise any suspicion." Her carmel eyes then turned to the walls. "You're officially a glader now and you need to know what that means."

"Why are some names crossed off?"

A flash of hurt appeared in her facial features as the memories played in her mind like a never-ending cycle of pain. "The glade has seen some dark days Thomas. It hasn't always been easy." She ran her fingers delicately over a name."I lost a really good friend of mine, his name was Nick. I vowed from that day to step up and protect the people I love."

Thomas' gaze softened at the fragile girl who looked like she could break at any moment. Over the past few days, the greenie realized how strong and caring Jane was. Even when struggles blocked her path, she'd push her emotions aside to hold the glade together.

"Thomas." Jane's voice brought him out of a trance. "You have to promise me you'll stay safe no matter what, I can't lose you too."

He nodded his head in agreement then went to engrave his name. A rushed force pulled his hand out of the walls reach, preventing him from coming in contact with the slab. Thomas turned his head to see Jane with a worried look plastered on her face. "I'm serious Tom, promise me you won't do anything stupid."

"I promise."

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"Jane, can you sort through some of the medical supplies for me? Clint went to go get some more bandages from the storage room."

"Sure, I need something to do anyway," Jane said as she walked to a small cabinet. "I guess it's good no one's hurt, even though I'm surprised none of the slicers have made a special appearance."

Jeff took some medicine bottles out of a crate."Yeah, or anyone that Gally's fought with."

"Jeff! Stop being a slinthead. I don't need anyone else turning into Minho. I've already got too much to deal with." The commander loudly exclaimed at the med - jack. They both burst out into a fit of laughter, which brought some positivity to the day. Their laughter was soon interrupted with a shout.

"HEY! HELP, HELP!"

Jane dropped the supplies in her hand when she heard the voice. Her heart rate quickened at the commotion coming from outside. After of moment of realization, something in her brain clicked. It was Thomas.

The brunette rushed towards the deadheads where the shouting was coming from. She could make out Ben throwing Thomas to the ground, then hovering over him like a predator and prey. Jane aggressively kicked the runner in the side and attempted to pin him down as long as she could before help arrived. She stared deep into his black eyes, as Ben seemed to be no longer.

"You." Ben spit out, leaving black liquid on the rims of his mouth. "You were there too. Always the creators favorite."

Ben was struggling against the girl's grip as her arms started to weaken. He then rapidly punched Jane in the face, which caused her to tumble to the ground. Ben pressed his hands to her throat, like he wanted to kill her. It seemed as though a heavyweight was placed on Jane's airways. The commander's vision was begging to become spotted, fighting to push the bigger boy off her.

The runner shook her body up and down, her head colliding with the ground. "You did this!" He screamed until it was cut short by him falling. Newt was there holding a shovel in his hand.

Gally was the first person to grab ahold of Ben. "Hold him down!"

"Bloody hell, are you okay?" Newt helped her up, with concern in his tone.

Jane brushed off the worry's Newt had. Even though her head was pounding from the collision with the dirt floor. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

The girl turned towards Ben as her heart fell with sadness. He looked practically half dead with a blueish liquid running through his veins. His eyes were as black as night. Her gut was telling her she knew what had happened

"Lift up his shirt." Alby firmly ordered.

Ben's stomach revealed a horrible looking injury that looked like an infected puncture in his skin.

"He's been stung." Alby motioned across the glade. "Take him to the pit."

Boys grabbed Ben firmly as he thrashed around in their arms.

"Thomas," Jane approached her brother, who looked shocked. "What did Ben say to you?"

He looked wide-eyed. Then taking a deep breath he responded. "He said that this was my fault, and how I did this to them."

"That's strange. He said almost the same thing to me."

Thomas looked at the group of gladers who were carrying Ben in the distance. "What's gonna happen to him?"

"He's going to be banished at sundown." Jane's heart was filled with conflict that maybe the creators would send up more griever serum for the sick boy, but she knew they wouldn't.

"Love, you might wanna go to the med - jacks." Newt cupped Jane's cheek and ran his rough finger, carefully, over her bruised area.

Jane looked into his soft gaze, practically melting under his concern. He cares about her so much. Which makes Jane doubt what she could give in return. The commander agreed then the pair headed to the med - jack.

❂❂❂❂❂❂❂❂

Alby, Newt, and Jane had made a unanimous decision to give everyone the day off. People were getting ready for an event that hasn't happened in a long time. A banishing. Friends of Ben were saying their final goodbyes, even though he was completely out of it. Minho came back from running like he usually did, and was instantly bombarded with the unfortunate news. He never broke his emotionless gaze, but Jane knew he was hurting on the inside.

Jane and Newt were in the weapons room grabbing poles for the banishment of Ben. The commander hated having this heavy decision of condemning a person to death on her heart. Even if someone in the glade was against it, she has the last and final say.

"Jane, do you remember what he was talking about?" Newt's voice brought the girl back into reality.

"No, but sometimes I have these dreams or visions that seem like they were real. If it has something to do with getting out of here I would tell you, trust me."

Newt nodded not wanting to push her any further than the two-headed out of the room. The British boy knew Jane was deep in thought, hoping that Ben would survive. He wanted to take that trouble away from her, but she was appointed commander after Nick's death. Newt couldn't see anyone else leading.

A crowd of gladers were forming around the entrance of the walls just as the sun was starting to set. Before Jane took her position in the front, she noticed Thomas standing amongst the boys looking nervously over his shoulder.

"Thomas, you shouldn't have to watch this. It's okay if you want to go into the homestead."

"No." Her sibling shook his head, crossing his arms. "I need to see this. Didn't you say I'm a glader now? This means I should endure everything you guys do."

Jane squeezed his shoulder, then sadly walked back to the front. She soon heard yells and screams getting closer as Minho dragged Ben across the glade, squirming and fighting the runner's grip. Minho dropped him in the middle of the circle and took his place among the keepers.

"Please Minho, Please don't do this." Ben looked around frantically. Fear was present in his demeanor. Jane couldn't imagine what being banished to death felt like.

Jane glanced over at Minho and could see he was concealing the hurt. She sadly stepped in the middle of the circle to address Ben. "Ben of the Runners you have been charged with the attempted murder of Thomas the greenie. Speak now or forever hold your peace."

Ben made eye contact with Jane as she saw tears in his blackened eyes. Next, he looked back to where Thomas was. "I - I didn't mean to hurt him, never wanted to. It was a mistake."

The commander stared at the boy and felt a lump form in her throat. She knew he would never get better. If the creators would have sent up a serum, maybe the boy could have a chance to live. Jane knew he was going to die anyway, which made her wanna burst out in tears. But she didn't.

"Ben of the Runers you will be banished into the maze, and you are never coming back." Jane glanced at the keepers around her waiting for her signal. The doors started to close as a gust of wind filled the entrance.

Jane lifted the wooden stick she was carrying. "Poles." Every keeper pointed their poles at Ben and started to push him back.

"No, No, please don't do - do this Jane." Ben tried to get away from the gap in the walls. "It was a mistake!"

Ben was then pushed into the entrance where the doors were quickly shutting. Minho grabbed a snack pack and threw it near the boy, just in case he would survive. With the last sound of an ear-piercing scream, the doors closed.

"He belongs to the maze," Alby said sadly. The air was filled with a heavy thicknesses. Losing a brother is never easy, even if you've been through that pain in the past.

"Alright, everyone." Newt addressed. "Let's settle down early and use the rest of this day to think about Ben. I know it's been a hard evening for us, so let's recover. Good That?"

Before Newt left the scene, he embraced Jane attempting to comfort the peacemaker. "Love, I need to know you'll be okay. Tell me you'll be okay. I wish I could take away your guilt."

"I'll be fine." The pair released each other. "The only way I can get through this is by telling myself he was already going to die anyway."

Newt pressed a delicate kiss on the girl's temple then left towards the homestead. The only ones left at the doors were Thomas, Minho, and Jane.

It was Jane's turn to help her friends. "Hey, Thomas are you alright?"

Thomas shakily sighed, then ran his fingers through his brown hair. "I don't know, I can't help but feel like it's my fault Ben was banished."

"I know how you feel Tom." Jane reflected on her current emotions. "It's not your fault, so please don't beat yourself up over this. Ben couldn't have gotten better because he didn't get the cure in time."

Thomas nodded understandingly then motioned towards Minho. "I think you should go talk to him, I'll be back at the homestead if you need me."

Jane approached Minho who had his hand on the doors. "How are you?"

"Don't worry Jane, I'm fine." Those famous words that came out of the commanders mouth only a few minutes prior.

Jane knew Minho almost better than anyone and she could tell he was just being stubborn. "Min, I know your lying to me. We're both more similar then you think." Minho turned to face her. She could see the glistening starting to form in the rim of his dark brown eyes.

"You don't have to act strong in front of me, it's okay to show your emotions."

Minho brought his hands up to the bridge of his nose as his shoulders shook up and down, he was crying.

Jane wrapped her hands around his torso and pulled him into a hug. Minho returned the gesture and buried his head into her shoulder. They stayed there for a while in each others' embrace.

Minho finally pulled away. You could see how red and swollen his eyes became. She cupped his cheek wiping away his tears.

A small smile formed on the Asian boy's face. "Thank you, princess, for always being my best friend. Your probably the strongest shank I've ever met. I appreciate how your always there for everyone."

"Anytime Minho, and I'll go with you tomorrow to retrace his footsteps. For now, let's go rejoin the others and celebrate Ben's life."

Minho and Jane headed back towards the homestead, not knowing the troubles tomorrow would bring.


End file.
